


If You're Too Far Behind Then I'll Slow Down

by livsace



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Boys In Love, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hugs, M/M, Post Episode 9, Skateboarding, none of them are cishet, sk8 stop being so angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29919510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livsace/pseuds/livsace
Summary: Langa catches up to Reki and fluff ensues[spoilers for episode 9]
Relationships: Chinen Miya & Hasegawa Langa, Hasegawa Langa & Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 4
Kudos: 150





	If You're Too Far Behind Then I'll Slow Down

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of catching up on school but they say mental health comes first so  
> Warnings: mild swearing and spoilers for episode 9.

Reki.  
Where was Reki?  
Langa felt like he’d been looking for hours. His arms ached from holding his board, which was strange; he’d once held it for almost two hours and had barely felt it, so why now? He couldn’t bear to look at it. He couldn’t help but think of his and Reki’s friendship whenever he looked at it. Broken, but still somewhat fixable (at least in Langa’s eyes).

“Langa!” a voice called out to him as he looked aimlessly around. Miya was running towards him with his hood down. He looked different with his hair on show, but it seemed like he hadn’t realised that now if someone looked at him they would see the infamous Miya Chinen at an illegal (well, it wasn’t exactly illegal, but it wasn’t permitted either) skating race.  
“Miya, your hood-” Langa reached over and quickly pulled it back over, but Miya just grabbed hold of his sleeve and dragged him away from the crowds.  
“Reki left. He was walking all depressed and handed something to the guys out front I think, but I know for sure he left his board,” The younger boy was looking down and fiddling with a loose purple thread on the cuff of his hoodie. Langa could tell he was upset but didn’t - or rather, couldn’t - show it.  
“I’ll find him, Miya,” he said, but even he could hear the doubt in his own voice. Miya looked up at him with a glint of determination (possibly even hope?) in his eyes.  
“I know you will.”

Langa had said a quick goodbye to Shadow and Miya after they promised to tell him the outcome of Cherry’s race against Adam (Langa still felt uneasy whenever the guy’s name was uttered), and ran to the gates.  
“Excuse me,” he said. He hoped there wouldn’t be a language barrier. Reiki and their friends were used to his partially broken Japanese and the odd word in English that he accidentally slipped in, but the guards at S wouldn’t be.  
The bigger one of the two looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.  
“Did a redhead come through here? He was wearing a green hoodie and-”  
“Reki? Yeah, he came through. Handed in his pin. Here, give it back to him, will you? He’s a good kid, been coming here for a while, he can’t give up now,” The other guard said, holding out the pin in his hand. Langa stared at it for a moment, taking it in. Reki had really given up his S badge. There was no denying it now - something was seriously wrong. As much as Langa wanted to believe that Reki was okay, was maybe just having a bad week, it was clear that he’d been going through this for a while. So why hadn’t he said anything?

“Kid? Are you going to take the badge or not?”  
Langa snapped out of his daydream (more like nightmare) and snatched the badge out of the guard’s hand. Shouting back a thank you, he ran in the direction of Reki’s house. Thinking about it logically, if he’d given up his board then there was no reason for him to go to the skate park. Joe’s restaurant was closed, as was the ramen shop they enjoyed, so he wouldn’t have gone there. The only other option was his house. Langa would have checked his own, but ever since that night in the rain Reki had barely talked to him, so it was safe to assume that he’d stay far away from the Hasegawa house.

Apparently, Langa had been daydreaming for longer than he’d realised, as he found himself pretty far from S when he pulled himself out of his thoughts.

A figure was walking slowly in front of him. It was hard to make out, but there was a tuft of spiky red hair sticking out from underneath a green hood.  
Reki!  
Langa sped up, wanting - no, needing - to reach Reki. His heart began to beat faster, and his hands became slightly clammy, but he took no notice. Reki was right there, he was in Langa’s reach.  
“Reki!”  
Reki stopped walking, visibly tensing up, almost as if he hadn’t expected Langa to follow him.  
“Reki, I’m-”  
“D’you need me to fix that?” he murmured, gesturing to Langa’s broken board.  
“Yes, but first-”  
Reki reached out for the parts, cutting Langa off. He hummed dejectedly and nodded in the direction of his house. Langa trailed behind, his hopeful spirits diminished. Reki was sad and clearly not in the mood to talk, but Langa couldn’t just leave everything as it was. At least he was willing to talk now.

The two arrived at Reki’s house not long after. All the lights were off, which wasn’t surprising considering how Langa could see soft streaks of sunrise bleeding into the inky night. Reki led Langa to the shed around the back, still silent, while Langa pondered what he’d say. He’d have to let Reki speak first if he was willing to, obviously. Then he’d confess. He’d tell Reki that he liked him as more than a friend, hope to whatever god was out there that Reki felt the same way. If not, he’d explain that Langa couldn’t skate without him, that it didn’t feel fulfilling anymore.

“I can’t fix the deck. I’ll have to make you a new one.” Reki didn’t sound angry at Langa, he just sounded… sad.  
“Reki, can you-”  
“You want the same wheels, right? And the colour, obviously.”  
“Reki please just-”  
“And obviously I’ll have to get a new toe clip.”  
“REKI!” Langa grabbed Reki’s shoulders, pulling him out of his miserable rambling. “I love that you’re so passionate about this, but I actually came to talk to you.”  
Reki stopped exactly where he was. “Why? Shouldn’t you be over at S cheering everyone on?”  
“Miya is going to update me on Cherry’s race, and Joe is the one that told me to come. Just - talk to me, please. Please, Reki,” Langa softened his hold on the redhead in front of him, and Reki relaxed slightly. He still looked guarded and upset, something that Langa wasn’t used to seeing on him.  
“What is there to talk about?”  
“You’ve shut me out. I know I broke our promise, and I’m sorry. Please come back, skating isn’t the same without you,” Langa pleaded, looking Reki in the eyes. His heart was beating at a hundred miles a minute, and there were butterflies in his stomach. Damn, he _really_ liked Reki, didn’t he?

What Langa didn’t know, was that Reki was feeling the exact same. There were butterflies in his stomach, too, and his shoulders tingled where Langa touched them. He was down bad.

“You’re doing fine without me. You beat Joe tonight,” he said with a frown on his face. Langa looked confused.  
“I only won because you cheered me on. Reki, when you aren’t there skating with me I don’t feel the rush of adrenaline. It isn’t fun without you,” he looked into Reki’s eyes again, making sure that the other boy heard him loud and clear.  
“Langa, we’ve been over this. I’m too far behind you. I just drag you down,” Reki wriggled to get out of Langa’s grip, but it only tightened.  
“If you’re too far behind then I’ll slow down. I’ll do anything to get you skating with me again. Reki, skating isn’t my happiness, it’s you.”

Reki looked on in shock. Did Langa… did Langa like him? The same way he liked Langa? He felt arms pull him into a hug and a familiar warmth embracing him. Smiling, he leaned into the hug. He rested his head on Langa’s chest and almost felt like crying. Whether it was from happiness or not, he didn’t know. He could feel Langa’s heart beating incredibly fast and would’ve laughed if his own wasn’t doing the same.

Maybe skating wasn’t his happiness, either. Maybe it was Langa. Maybe they were each others’ happiness.

Langa smiled and pulled away from the hug, taking a deep breath.  
“I like you, Reki,” He said apprehensively.  
“You idiot,” Reki replied, hitting Langa’s chest lightly, “I wanted to say it first.”  
Langa laughed breathily and leaned in, placing his lips oh so delicately on Reki’s. Reki wrapped his arms around Langa’s shoulders, deepening the kiss.  
All was good with the world until Langa pulled away.  
“Your board! I forgot it, it’s still at S. If we hurry I think we can get it before someone steals it-”  
“It’s alright,” Reki laughed, linking his hand with Langa’s, “I’ll just ask Miya to grab it.”  
Langa looked down and smiled. He leaned against Reki, who grunted at the added weight.  
“Get off me you giant. Wanna go inside? Mom probably won’t be awake yet, I’m sure we could sneak.”  
"Yeah," Langa agreed, "I think the adrenaline of tonight is wearing off. Oh, also, here's your pin. I thought you might want it back."  
Reki smiled up at him and muttered a small "Thanks", taking the pin from Langa.  
"So, does this mean we're..."  
"Boyfriends?" Reki mused, "yeah, if you want to be"  
Langa's face lit up, and he nodded with a smile. Reki led him out of the shed and through the house, shushing him whenever he made even the slightest noise. He felt his phone buzz, most likely Miya updating him on Cherry’s race, but decided he’d check it in out the morning. Right now, all he wanted to do was enjoy his impromptu sleepover with his new boyfriend.

When Miya was let into the house later that morning to return Reki’s board, he found the two curled up against each other. Sure, he was glad they were happy, but all the sappy shit that was going to come from this _and_ Joe and Cherry was going to send him over the edge.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter renga nation @yuriosmother


End file.
